


Words/Actions

by rinnytin



Series: Banita Week 2020 [12]
Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Confessions, M/M, Vulnerability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27054925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinnytin/pseuds/rinnytin
Summary: They didn’t have a typical love language, but Banri knew that he wouldn’t want that - there wasn’t the same amount of trust that getting each other flowers and chocolate had compared Itaru depending on him to not royally screw up his rank when he needed him. Plus, there was a certain amount of vulnerability needed to let someone else rank for your oshi.Banita Week SFW Day 6 - Vulnerability
Relationships: Chigasaki Itaru/Settsu Banri
Series: Banita Week 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1966267
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21
Collections: Banita Week 2020





	Words/Actions

**Author's Note:**

> My head is filled with these idiots confessing to each other...

“You can talk to me, you know,” Banri mumbled, twirling Itaru’s hair around his finger - pressing a kiss against the junction between his neck and shoulder. It was hard to believe that he was the same person that was yelling about beating his roommate to a pulp for touching his juice just this morning - but Banri was easy to figure out, his tough exterior gave way to his overly sweet center when they were alone, “You’re really quiet.”

“I’m tired,” Itaru mumbled as he shifted against Banri’s chest, his phone was resting on the couch next to them - a rare break in all his games let him relax, “Do you want to talk about anything?”

“Yeah, but you get upset when I bring up the topic,” Banri sighed, he knew it was going to ruin the moment - but without the distraction of his games it was the best time to get a straight answer, “But uh, why do just like shut down when I do anything for you? It’s fine, then you get all tense and distant.”

“Oh, I don’t know?” Itaru sat up, turning to face him - drawing his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them. He was creating a space between them - physically first, curling up around himself almost like a defense mechanism, and it wouldn’t be long before he excused himself to do something else, “It’s just instinct, I guess.”

“Is it because of what happened with-” Banri stopped when Itaru nodded - he didn’t need to keep pressing, it was obvious that Itaru didn’t want to think about it. He opened up a few times, about how Tonooka screwed him over and made whatever progress he made about opening up restart by one higher difficulty and how he just would shut down anyone’s attempts at getting close to him. It was a miracle that he was able to be happy in Mankai - a group of guy’s who practically wore their hearts on their sleeves and didn’t seem like the best place for an emotional recluse, “You know I wouldn’t do that to you, right? I love you and I don’t think that I have it in my heart to knowingly hurt you.”

It took a moment between them - Itaru staring at him as he processed what he just heard and Banri processing what he just said. He knew he couldn’t just play it off as a joke or ignore that he said it all together - that would probably make Itaru feel like he was being led on and he was pulling the rug out from under him. He meant it, every word of it, but every time the moment was right and he was going to say it - he got choked up and just let the moment die in awkwardness between them.

“You…said  _ it,”  _ Itaru’s eyes widened and his face reddened as he laughed awkwardly. Banri was going to yell at him for making fun of the fact that he was being honest with him but Itaru had moved onto his lap to hug him, “I thought it was just me.”

“What are you talking about?” 

“You said you love me,” Itaru mumbled, his face against his neck and words were slightly muffled, but Banri could feel the warmth of his skin, increasing by the second. He could tell that it was the one thing that Itaru needed to hear for that last bit of doubt disappear; his body relaxed against him and Banri wanted to double down on what he said. He did love Itaru - more than he thought he would ever be capable of, he was afraid of getting bored in a relationship and being the type of guy to just walk away when things got stale, he never wanted to leave anyone like that. But with Itaru, who already had been living in his head as a worthy rival in rank climbing before they even met, he just felt like that need to find something to make him excited was gone - he didn’t need to compete to prove that he was a good boyfriend, he just got to exist as himself. To Itaru he wasn’t a reformed delinquent or a guy that was good at everything he tried, he was just Banri - the emotionally awkward guy who he let himself get comfortable with.

“I thought you knew already,” Banri sighed, the absence of Itaru’s weight and warmth as he pulled away, “I thought that’s why you would get weird when I would do things for you.”

“I’m not good at reading people like you, I can only tell who’s a closeted otaku,” Itaru smiled, wiping at his eyes, wetting his sleeve with his unfallen tears, “I thought that you were just being nice and it scared me because I knew was I was falling in love with you.”

Banri sighed, his fingers winding into the hair at the nape of his neck - pulling him in, their lips meeting in a soft kiss; he wasn’t good at talking about his feelings, he never really saw a point at it and it was the reason he struggled so much at the beginning with his emotional delivery. Actions have always been able to get his point across, but Itaru had been in a spot where things done with friendly intentions screwed him over and he couldn’t blame him for not taking his kindness at face value. They parted - Itaru’s eyes trained on Banri’s chest, the tips of his ears were visibly red - Banri wanted to kiss him again, he wanted that to be his way to chase any doubts that still lingered away.

“I didn’t know how to say it,” Banri admitted, nudging Itaru’s chin up so he would look at him - their eyes met and he watched as the corners of Itaru’s lips twitched into a shy smile, “You’re the only person that could make me fumble up my words and I didn’t think I would be able to say it properly.”

“Ah? I don’t see how I could do that,” Itaru’s blush was so prominent that his neck was growing splotchy with red - he didn’t know what else to say, he never expected Banri to ever just lay himself bare like this and he wasn’t quite ready to fully let his walls down. He had a four-tier defense in place and he was one his last legs, all other walls had been broken from joining the theater and finding people who were just as guarded as him and in need of someone to understand them. Banri just happened to be the only one who wanted to spend his nights in his trashed room and he slowly began to chip at the barriers when his guards were asleep.

Banri smiled when Itaru moved back to holding him, his lips pressing against his neck - a soft content exhale against his skin as he kissed the spot. He knew that Itaru wasn’t any better at talking about his emotions so hearing him say that he was falling in love with him was the greatest achievement he could have unlocked with him and Itaru probably felt the same when he said it. They both were still figuring out things between them and personally, but they knew going into this that they didn’t have any experience and it wasn’t going to play out like the good ending in a dating sim. But still, having Itaru this close to him - not in character or distracted by his games, just him being comfortable in his arms. They had a ways to go in terms of being able to overcome their inability, to be honest with their feelings but he knew that moments of vulnerability weren’t something that could come easily to either of them, but that was part of why he was so content with being in love - it wasn’t easy and that was okay.

“I love you,” The words came out more confidently and he heard Itaru make a nose against his neck, he didn’t respond with words instead his arms tightened around his neck and Banri knew that was his response. He was fine with that - Itaru needed to hear the words to know it was real, but Banri was fine with the subtle rub of his nose against his pulse, a soft exhale in content as he held the back of his shirt in his fist as if it was an anchor keeping him right there. The intricacies of their love - the passing smiles when he thought Banri wasn’t paying attention and he looked at him, the way his nose would scrunch up when Banri would compliment him as if he was disgusted, or the way he would tug on his sleeve to catch his attention when they’re out and without saying a word Banri would figure out what he needed - and the less romantic parts of Banri having to rank for him when he was forced to be a social adult or when he was a little drunk from a night with the adults. They didn’t have a typical love language, but Banri knew that he wouldn’t want that - there wasn’t the same amount of trust that getting each other flowers and chocolate had compared Itaru depending on him to not royally screw up his rank when he needed him. Plus, there was a certain amount of vulnerability needed to let someone else rank for your oshi.

**Author's Note:**

> [ Banita Week !! YES!! ](https://twitter.com/banitaweek)   
>  [ My personal twt ](https://twitter.com/Dicesboyfriend)


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